Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much his Department has spent on investment in renewable energy in British Overseas Territories in each of the past five years.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Overseas Territories have delegated responsibility for renewable energy. As such, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero does not provide direct financial support. However, the Government supports renewable energy in the Territories through a range of other channels, including Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) to ODA-eligible Territories, and the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) administered by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. In 2021/22, the CSSF-funded Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Programme funded renewable energy projects in Ascension, the British Virgin Islands, St Helena, South Georgia, and Tristan da Cunha worth up to £445,000. In 2022/23, the CSSF Governance Programme also supported a renewable energy project in Anguilla worth up to £50,000.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Cradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which countries the UK has visa free travel arrangements with for British citizens.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
FCDO, who have responsibility for this information, have said that the information this question is requesting can be found in public domain https://visaguide.world/visa-free-countries/uk-passport/
We have included the list for ease:
Albania
American Samoa
Andorra
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Bermuda
Bolivia
Caribbean Netherlands
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
British Virgin Islands
Brunei
Bulgaria
Canada
Cabo Verde
Cayman Islands
Chile
Colombia
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia
Curaçao
Cyprus
Czechia
Denmark
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Estonia
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Guiana
French Polynesia
French West Indies
Georgia
Germany
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guam
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Indonesia
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Kazakhstan
Kiribati
Kosovo
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Lesotho
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Malaysia
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Namibia
Netherlands
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niue
North Macedonia
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestine
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Réunion
Romania
San Marino
São Tomé and Príncipe
Senegal
Serbia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Gambia
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turks and Caicos Islands
Türkiye
United States Virgin Islands
Ukraine
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Zambia
Eswatin
Asked by: Lord Hannan of Kingsclere (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Georgia regarding the continuing detention of Mikheil Saakashvili, whose health has reported to have “deteriorated sharply”; and what plans they have to encourage that government to release him on humanitarian grounds.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are following former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili's treatment during his imprisonment closely. Our Ambassador to Georgia has met members of Mr Saakashvili's family to discuss his detention on two occasions, the FCDO raised his treatment with the Georgian Ambassador to London on 2 November, and Embassy officials also met representatives of the United National Movement political party to discuss his health, most recently on 2 and 14 December. Mr Saakashvili's case was also discussed in a meeting between our Ambassador to Georgia and Prime Minister Garibashvili on 15 December. We have repeatedly emphasised that Mr Saakashvili should receive treatment in line with international human rights standards, and urged that any further court hearings are in line with due process and the rule of law. We will continue to highlight the importance of Mr Saakashvili's treatment in line with international human rights standards, and that any further hearings are in line with the rule of law and due process in discussions with the Georgian Government.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Coventry (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Georgia, if any, for the release from prison on health grounds of Mikheil Saakashvili, the former president of that country.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are following former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili's treatment during his imprisonment closely. Our Ambassador to Georgia has met members of Mr Saakashvili's family to discuss his detention on two occasions. The FCDO raised his treatment with the Georgian Ambassador to London on 2 November, and Embassy officials also met representatives of the United National Movement political party to discuss his health, most recently on 2 and 14 December. Mr Saakashvili's case was also discussed in a meeting between our Ambassador to Georgia and Prime Minister Garibashvili on 15 December. We have repeatedly emphasised that Mr Saakashvili should receive treatment in line with international human rights standards, and urged that any further court hearings are in line with due process and the rule of law.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Georgian counterpart on the implications of the visit of the Speaker of the Russian State Duma to Abkhazia on 1 December 2022 and the subsequent signing of a cooperation agreement.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Although the Foreign Secretary has not discussed this issue with his Georgian counterpart, it is the longstanding policy of the UK and the vast majority of the international community that Abkhazia is Georgian territory, as we have repeatedly made clear in statements at the UN, OSCE and Council of Europe. The signing of the cooperation agreement is a further attempt to undermine Georgia's sovereignty over the territory of Abkhazia. The UK's strong support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and close cooperation on defence and security, makes us one of Georgia's most valued partners in countering Russian hybrid threats.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Georgian counterpart on the war in Ukraine.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Foreign Secretary discussed Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine with former Georgian Foreign Minister Zalkaliani on 28 February. Former Prime Minister Truss met with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili during the UN General Assembly High-Level Week in September and discussed the situation in Ukraine. On 27 July former Minister for Europe Graham Stuart met with Georgian First Deputy Defence Minister Lela Chikovani and discussed the war in Ukraine and UK support to Georgia.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many cats have been imported this year under the Balai Directive; and from which countries those cats originated.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Since we left the EU, the EU import data for 2021 and 2022 was collated from PIMS which is APHA’s Post Import Management System and accounts for all Imports into the United Kingdom that have been entered using IPAFFS (Import of products, animals, food and feed system).
This information is drawn from the external IPAFF’s system not directly controlled by the department.
From 14th April 2022 the United Kingdom temporarily suspended the commercial import of dogs, cats and ferrets if they originated from or have been dispatched from Belarus, Poland, Romania or Ukraine, until 29th October 2022.
January-September 2022 | |
Country Of Origin | Total |
Austria | 1 |
Belgium | 15 |
Bulgaria | 115 |
Croatia | 32 |
Cyprus | 392 |
Czech Republic | 22 |
Denmark | 5 |
England | 3 |
Estonia | 3 |
France | 17 |
Germany | 28 |
Greece | 42 |
Hungary | 94 |
Ireland (Rep. of) | 1 |
Italy | 18 |
Latvia | 155 |
Lithuania | 107 |
Netherlands | 11 |
Poland | 208 |
Portugal | 32 |
Romania | 705 |
Slovakia | 17 |
Spain | 339 |
Sweden | 2 |
Switzerland | 3 |
Antigua and Barbuda | 6 |
Argentina | 7 |
Australia | 140 |
Bahamas | 4 |
Barbados | 1 |
Bahrain | 124 |
Bermuda | 6 |
Brazil | 59 |
Brunei | 3 |
Canada | 81 |
Cayman Islands | 12 |
Chile | 3 |
China | 31 |
Colombia | 12 |
Costa Rica | 2 |
Egypt | 357 |
Georgia | 1 |
Ghana | 2 |
Hong Kong | 29 |
India | 46 |
Indonesia | 5 |
Israel | 2 |
Japan | 8 |
Jordan | 2 |
Kenya | 9 |
Korea (South) | 18 |
Kuwait | 22 |
Lebanon | 8 |
Malaysia | 33 |
Mauritius | 6 |
Mexico | 12 |
Myanmar | 2 |
Namibia | 2 |
New Zealand | 85 |
North Macedonia | 9 |
Oman | 5 |
Pakistan | 2 |
Peru | 1 |
Philippines | 2 |
Qatar | 106 |
Russia | 48 |
Saint Lucia | 1 |
Saudi Arabia | 67 |
Seychelles | 1 |
Singapore | 39 |
South Africa | 348 |
Taiwan | 2 |
Thailand | 43 |
Turkey | 15 |
UAE | 1043 |
Uganda | 1 |
USA | 256 |
Vietnam | 4 |
Zimbabwe | 18 |
Total | 5518 |
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications of of reports that Guillermo Carmona, Minister for the Falkland Islands, Antarctica and the South Atlantic in the government of Argentina, visited Colombia and Ecuador between 10 and 13 October 2022 to seek regional support for Argentina's sovereignty claim over the Falklands Islands.
Answered by Jesse Norman
As the UK reaffirmed at the Organisation of American States' General Assembly on 5-7 October, we have no doubt about our sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. We remain committed to the principle and the right of the Falkland Islanders of self-determination. They expressed their wish to remain a self-governing overseas territory of the UK in 2013. There can be no dialogue on sovereignty unless the Falkland Islanders so wish. In continuing to push its claim over the Falkland Island, Argentina is entirely disregarding the people who live there and their right of self-determination.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many officials from her Department are based in each state of the United States as on 10 October 2022.
Answered by James Duddridge
As of 10 October 2022, the Department for International Trade maintains 151 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions based in the United States, as shown in the table below. This includes currently vacant positions.
These officials are based in the British Embassy and Consulates General across the US.
State | Consulate General/ Embassy | FTE Staff |
California | Los Angeles | 16 |
San Francisco | 13 | |
Florida | Miami | 5 |
Georgia | Atlanta | 8 |
Illinois | Chicago | 20 |
Massachusetts | Boston | 13 |
New York | New York | 46 |
Texas | Houston | 14 |
Washington DC | Washington DC | 16 |
| Total | 151 |
UK Export Finance is co-administered with the Department for International Trade and employs one official based in Texas.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had recent discussions with his US counterpart on extending the maintenance contract for Trident at Kings Bay in Georgia, USA.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The maintenance of Trident missiles is managed under the 1963 Polaris Sales Agreement (amended for Trident in 1982) between the United States of America and United Kingdom. I have not discussed changing this maintenance arrangement with US colleagues.